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Beyond Victim or Survivor: Sexual Violence, Identity and Feminist Theory and Practice

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Sexualizing the Social

Part of the book series: Explorations in Sociology. ((EIS))

Abstract

In this chapter we examine recent debates about the meaning of sexual victimization. These struggles have implications for feminist praxis; for theory, research and practice. We explore several locations from which challenges to previous feminist re-definitions emerge; specifically, recent popularist publications which use, in a pejorative tone, the term ‘victim’ or ‘victimhood’ feminism and academic contestation of prevalence research. In the second half of the paper we connect these themes with a discussion of what we call ‘the victim/survivor dichotomy’, which represents another element in debates about the extent and meaning of sexual victimization.

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© 1996 British Sociological Association

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Kelly, L., Burton, S., Regan, L. (1996). Beyond Victim or Survivor: Sexual Violence, Identity and Feminist Theory and Practice. In: Adkins, L., Merchant, V. (eds) Sexualizing the Social. Explorations in Sociology.. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-24549-9_5

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